Diane Giese, Executive Director of the Seacoast Family Food Pantry in Portsmouth talks about the still growing need for donations and nutritionally relevant foods for the more than 75 families the Pantry assists each month.

Increasing number of 'working poor' seek help from local pantry

By Charles McMahon

cmcmahon@seacoastonline.com

January 25, 2013 - 12:05 PM

PORTSMOUTH — There really is no such thing as a slow day at the Seacoast Family Food Pantry these days.

Officials at the Portsmouth-based nonprofit pantry said this week that not a day goes by when someone isn’t stopping in to stock up on food and personal care items.

This past Wednesday, more than 20 people were signed up to visit the pantry, according to its director Margie Parker. That makes for a very busy day, said Parker, who in order to accommodate the many requests had to schedule visits every 15 minutes. “It’s my longest day,” she said.

While Wednesday was one of the more busy days, both Parker and Executive Director Diane Giese said winter is technically the slow season.

Giese said so far the pantry is seeing a 25 percent increase in need compared to this time last year, meaning the pantry is seeing about 70 to 75 people each week, and close to 300 people each month.

While the numbers aren’t necessarily out of the ordinary, Giese said she is noticing small changes in the people visiting the pantry lately.

“What we’re seeing now is an increase of the ‘working poor,’ said Giese, who described that term as someone who is not necessarily unemployed, but is underemployed.

Giese said she is seeing people who have jobs and can pay their bills, but cannot necessarily afford to put food on the table each and every night.

Another change she has noticed is where the people are coming from. The pantry serves Portsmouth, Greenland, Kittery, Maine, New Castle, Rye, Newington, Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Seabrook and Stratham.

Giese said she is starting to see more people coming in from outlying towns. Even still, Giese said she believes not everyone is aware of the help they can get at the pantry.

“I think there’s a lot of people who still don’t know we are a resource to them,” she said.

While the need continues to grow, Giese said the pantry has been fortunate to gain donations from residents and local businesses such as Trader Joe’s. And with no shortage of donations — for now — Giese said that allows the pantry to help people make healthy choices when it comes to the food they take home.

“We’re trying to make sure people have food on the table, but we’re also trying to make it nutritionally relevant,” she said.